Apparatus for use in connection with chemical and physical operations



A. T. STUART AND G. N. MIDDLETON. APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL OPERATIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY5,19I7. RENEWED DEC. 27. 1920. 1,417,585.. Patented y 30,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I A. T. STUART AND G. N. MIDDLETON.

APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL'OPERATIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, I917- RENEWED DEC-21.19201 Patented May 30, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED; s'rlyrlz's ATENT- oFF- cn- ALEXANDER Tnonms STUART Ann GUY novnnnn MIDDLETON, or TORONTO,

ONTARIO, CANADA,- -ASSIGNORS To THE TORONTO rownn comrnnrmm- ITED, or TORONTO, oNTAmo QANADA; A CORPORATION or ONTARIO.

7 APPARATUS FOR use in CONNECTION WITH CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL" OPERATIONS.

Application filed J'uly 5,' 1917,.Seria1 No. 178,702.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that we, ALEXANDER THoMAs STUART and GUY Novrnnr. Mmnnnron, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at the city of Toronto, in .the county of York and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and from the reaction zone. r p

The reaction chamber is preferably surrounded by a protecting jacket, into which 5 ,11 inert gas of high dielectric properties,

useful Improvements in an Apparatus for Use in Connection with Chemical and Physical Operations; and we hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same.

This invention relates, to an apparatus for use in connection with chemical and physical operations requiring high tempera tures andi'pre'ssures, "and'the object of the invention is to so design this apparatus that it will be. capable of heat conservation, close temperature regulation, high thermal input per unit surface area, mechanical resistance tohigh ressures, the selective recovery of thedeslred-products, and the "'automatic retreatmnt of the undesired "prod- 'ucts, this object being attained by the use.

of a closed reaction chamber, whose wall or walls is or are of material of high electrical resistance, and into which, matter, to be,

acted on, is admitted, combined with a suitably-trapped condenser, or a battery of suitably-trapped condensers, connected in series, through which the products may'pass may be introduced under ressure, to counterbalance the pressure within the reaction zone. j

The reaction chamber may take a'tubular form, and may be constructed of standard or speclal tubin preferably iron I or steel adaptable to ordinary electrical circuits or transformers, the shape and dimensions of the reaction chamber being determined by.

the purposes for which the apparatus is intended, and a heat insulator being interposed between the reaction chamber and-the protecting vjacket, to prevent heat/being radiated from the reaction chamber to the jacket. The heat insulatormay be asbestos, -mineral wool or other material of a granu-.

lar or fibrous nature, having voids into which the pressure balancingmedium may enter, I

' lator.

'high pressures' The condensers may also take a tubular form, such as may be constructed of standard or special tubing 0r piping, and are surrounded with jackets' to maintain the desired condensing temperatures, each condenser having an individual trap through which its condensate may be takenofi.

' Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented May30,1922.

'Ren-ewed n eniber'a'r, 1920. seriafno. 433,425.

The feed for the reaction chamber preferably enters through the trap of one of the condensers to enable the condensate therein and the matter to be treated 'tocommingle before passing into the reaction zone.

E1ectricalconduct '0rs of the heating circuit are connected with the reaction chamber, and the flow of the current is so regulated as to heat it to the desired temperature, this temperature being conserved within the reaction'chamber by the heat insuwith. a contact making and breaking pyrometer, to -maintain a close temperatureregulation of the reaction apparatus, and a check 'may be maintained-on this tem .perature regulation by utilizing the vdiflerence in the ratio offexpansion between the reaction chamber and jacket to operate a circuit breaker -in the circuit, such expan in itself a.

sion arrangement constituting thermostatic control.

, In the drawings Fig. 1, represents a longitudinal sectional elevation of, a preferred form of apparatus;

The reaction chamber is provided -.Fig. 2, is aisimilar view taken at right angles to Fig.-1;- I

Fig. 3, is a detail View of the reaction chamber; and,

a Fig. 4, is a similar view of a modification of the reaction chamber. Like characters of reference refer parts throughout the" specification and. drawings.-

' The reaction chambera, which may preferably take a tubular form, and be of any and cross-sectional jacket I), capable in itself ofwithstanding wit tolike cu'py the space between .thejacket and the reaction chamber. Contained between the intake and ofi'take The presence of this insulator is advisable, as the jacket should be kept at ,as low a temperature as possible, to enable it to retain its full tensile strength.

Connected with the reaction chamber are ipes f and 9 respectively, and connecte' with the intake and oiftake pipes are the electrical conductors f and g of the heating circuit, the flow .of which is so regulated as to heat the reaction chamber to the desired temperature, this heat being conserved within the reaction chamber bythe presence of the heat insulator 0.

The reaction chamber is rovided with a contact making and breaking pyrometer h which operates a mechanical contact or circuit breaking device 9' by which the heating circuit formed by the conductors f and 9 may be made and broken.

The difference in theratio' of expansion- 'between the reaction chamber and the -jacket may be utilized to operate a mechanical contact 2', c' for making and breaking an electrically-controlled circuit, by which the same heating circuit may be made and broken, such an expansion arrangement constituting in itself a thermostatic control.

Coacting with, the reaction chamber is a condenser or a setof condensers connected in series. r p

' In Fig. 1 of the drawings, each reaction chamber is shown to be'connected through a set of four condensers, numbered 3 to 6 inclusive, and in Fig. 2, is shown a battery of six reaction apparatus, the condensers of each set being connected in series, with their respective reaction chamber.

' In Fig. 1, each condenserEB, 4, 5 and 6 is shown to be provided with a trap 3 4, 5 and 6 respectively, each'of the condensers is connected by a pipe 4 with the condenser 5, above its trap .5, the top of the condenser 5 being connected by a coupling pipe 5,

with the top of the condenser 6, the lower end ofwhich leads down into the trap 6. The offtake' pipe 9' is connected with the condenser 3 above the level of the trap 3,

and the intake pipe f extends into the trap near the top thereof. Leading into the trap J 3, near the bottom thereof, is the feed pipe h, by which the matter to be treated in the Mamet reaction chamber is delivered into the trap to pass through the intake pipe f to the reaction zone, the trap 3 being provided with agauge glass j.

When fluid matter, such as hydrocarbons, is to be treated in the reaction chamber, it is delivered through the feed pipe it into the trap 3, filling the trapuntil it attains the level of the top of the intake pipe f, through which it then flows into the reaction chamber'a. x

The reaction chamber shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, is of U-bend type, and its wall or walls is or are of material of high electrical resistance, but the reaction chamber may be of any other type, such as that shown in Fig. 4.

The conductors f, g of'the heating circuit are connected with the intake pipe 7 and ofltake pipe g, respectively, and the current circuiting from the conductor f to the conductor g, by means of the reaction chamber, heats its wall to any desired temperature.

The matter to be treated, when it enters the reaction 'zone, undergoes destructive decomposition, and passes through the ofi'take pipe 9 in the form of gases to the conhigher boiling points'may be taken off as condensates through the trap 4, and so on through the traps 5 and 6.

To control the character of the hydrocar-' as it passes into the hons taken off through these different traps,

each condenser 3, 4, i5 and 6 is providedjwith a jacket 3 4 5 and 6*, respectively, to contain the condensing atmosphere, the temperature of which is different for each condenser, so that the different condensates may be simultaneously taken off from the condensers and in this way, the necessity for fractional cracking or distillation may be avoided.

'As shown in Fig. 1, the jacket I) is provided with a mechanical contact 2'', and the reaction chamber is provided with a mechanical contact i". Connected with the contacts 2', and i are electrical conductors j, j", controlling the circuit breaker 7' for the main heating circuit f, 9', so that in the event of the temperature in the reaction chamber rising above-the degree at which the mechanical contacts d, i are set, these contacts will come together and close the circuit through the circuit breaker i to open the main heating circuit f, g.- The contact making and breaking pyrometer h, 'by means of a controlled circuit k, is, will also actuateythe circuit breaker to open the main heating circuit. 7

1n the destructive decomposition of "hydrocarbons, it is necessary to maintain high pressures inthe reaction'zone, such pressures approximating eight to ten atmospheres," and sometimes/higher, and in such cases, it is necessary to counterbalance the pressure within the reaction zone by a corresponding'pressure on the outside of it, as

otherwise, the rescues chamber would be liable to rupture, as a result of such-internal pressure, owing to its reduced tensile strength, resulting from its high tempera-- ture. r a

' The counterbalancing pressure within the jacketinay be obtained either bypassing some of?tl1e', matterto be treated into the chamber formed by the jacket and the reaction zone, if the conditions of the process v and the apparatus warrant it, or, when this. is not possible, acounterbalancing pressure may be obtained by forcing a gaseous agent into the space between the reaction chamber and the jacket, through the inlet 6, the pres:

ence of such counterbalancing pressure lowering the tendencytoruptureto a negligible v quantity.

Having thus fully described the nature (if our invention, what we claim as new and de- 1 sire to secure by Letters Patent, is

. quiringhigh temperatures" and pressures,.

1. An apparatus for use inconnection with chemical and physical operations recomprlslng a closed reaction chamber whose wall is 'of material having high electrical resistance, an intake and an ofi'take therefor, electrical conductors establishing a circuit through the wall of the reaction chamber to create the desired reaction temperature, and pressure resisting means surrounding the reaction chamber to support it against internal pressure. 4 i

2, An apparatusv for use in connection with chemical and physical operations requiring,

high temperatures and pressures, comprising a closed reaction chamber'whose wall is of materlal having high electrical resistance,

an intake and an ofltake therefor, electrical conductors establishing a circuit through the Wall of the reaction chamber to'create the desired reaction temperature, a jacket sur-' rounding the reactionchamber, and a pressure resisting fluid between the jacket and reaction chamber to counterbalance the in ternal pressure of the reaction chamber.

3. An-apparatus for use" in, connection with chemical and physical operations requiring high temperatures and pressures, comprlsing a closed reaction chamber whose Wallis of material having high electrical resistance, an intake and an offtake therefor, electrical conductors establishing a circuit ductors establishing a circuit through the wall of thereaction chamber to create the desired reaction temperature, and thermostatic means for opening and closing the circuit .through the wall of the reaction chamber to create the desired reaction temperature, a jacket enclosing the reaction chamber, heat through said conductors controlled by the temperature of the reaction chamber.-

5; An apparatus for use ,in connection with chemical and physical operations requir ng a closed'reaction chamber'whose wall is electrically resistant, an intake and an ofli'take therefor, electrical conductors establishing a circuit through the wall of the reaction chamber to createthe desired reactiontemperature, andthermostatic means controlled by the temperature of the reaction chamber governing the circuit of the current through .theconductors.

- 6. Anapparatus for use in connection high temperatures and pressures, comprising with chemical and physical operations requiring .high temperatures and pressures comprising a treating chamber of tubular construction whose wall is of material having high electrical resistance and capable Y of withstanding, high temperatures and' pressures, an intake for admission thereto of'the matter to be treated, an ofltake for egress therefrom of the products of the reaction, and electrical conductors establishing a, circuit through the wall of said chamber to 'create the desired reaction temperature. a

7. An apparatus for use'in connection with chemical. and physical'operations requiring high temperatures and pressures comprising a, treating chamber of tubular construction whose Wall is of material having high electrical resistance and capable of withstanding high temperatures and pressures, an intake for admission thereto of the matter to be treated, an ofltake for egress therefrom of the products of the reaction, electrical conductors establishing a circuit through the wall of said chamber to create the desired reaction temperature, and

a, jacket surrounding the reaction chew/ s p having an inlet for admitting a pressure balancing medium between the reaction chamber and the jacket to counterbalance the pressure within said chamber.

8. An apparatus for use in connection with chemical and physical operations requiring high temperatures and pressures comprising, a treating chamber of tubular construction whose Wall is of material having high electrical resistance and capable of withstanding high temperatures and pressures, an intake for. admission thereto of the matter to be treated, an oiitake for egress therefrom of the products of the reaction, electrical conductors establishing a cir, cuit through the wall of said chamber to create the desired reaction-temperature, a jacket surrounding the reaction chamber, having an inlet for admitting a pressure balancing medium between the reaction chamber and the jacket to counterbalance the pressure within said chamber and a heat insulator interposed between the jacket and the reaction chamber.

9. An apparatus for use in connection with operations requiring the application of high temperatures to fluids, a treating chamher in the form of a resistance tube, means for feeding the fluid thereto, leads for bring- 7 ing an electric circuit into conductive relationship wlth sald tube, a circuit opener in one of said leads, and means for operating said circuit opener to open said circuit.

'10. An apparatus for the heat treatment of fluid mixtures comprising a'tubular retort provided with a feed intake and a vapor oil'take and having a wall sufliciently low in electrical conductivity to act as a resistor, said Wall being capable of withstanding high temperaturesand pressures, means for passing a current through said wall to heat the retort to a relatively high temperature, means for feeding a fluid mixture to said intake, and means for recovering desired prod ucts from the fluids leaving said ofltake.

11. An apparatus for the heat treatment of fluid mixtures comprising a retort of heavy Walled metal pipe encased in heat insulation and having sutficiently low electri cal conductivity to act as a resistor, said retort bein provided with a feed intake and a vapor 0 take, means for feeding a mixture of fluids to said intake and condenser means connected both to said ofltake and to said intake, there being a return trap device connecting said condenser with said intake.

Toronto, June 14th, 1917.

ALEXANDER moms STUART. GUY NOVERRE MIDDLETON. Signed in the resence 0f- Cuannas RIoHEs, WM; VOLKMANN. 

